REL S 100. Exploring the Bible (3) [GE]

Basic content and themes of the Hebrew Bible and New Testament using methods of contemporary biblical studies. Attention to ancient Near Eastern and Greco-Roman cultural settings as well as the impact of the Bible on contemporary culture. 

REL S 101. World Religions (3) [GE]

Major world and selected tribal traditions from primal times to present. Broad historical development and philosophical overview including founders, teachings, beliefs, practices, and interactions with culture, such as art, literature, politics. 

REL S 102. Exploring the Qur’an (3) [GE]

Basic content and themes of the Qur’an from an historical perspective using academic methods of study. Consideration of relationships to other Abrahamic scriptures. Exegetical approaches from sectarian and modern political viewpoints. 

REL S 103. American Religious Diversity (3) [GE]

Religious identities and traditions of diverse peoples living in the US. Major world religions in context of contemporary multicultural America. Religions of indigenous peoples and religious movements which have arisen in US. 

 

REL S 258. Death, Dying, and Afterlife (D) (3) [GE]

Diverse ways religions deal with process of dying and rituals involved in transition of life to death. Grieving, end-of-life decisions, views on afterlife.  (Formerly numbered Study of Religion 358.

REL S 296. Experimental Topics (1-4)

Selected topics. May be repeated with new content. See Class Schedule for specific content. Limit of nine units of any combination of 296, 496, 596 courses applicable to a bachelor’s degree.

NOTE: Courses for Area (A) Texts; or Area (B) Traditions; or Area (C) Theories and Methods; or Area (D) Critical Issues in Religion, are identified in the course title as (A), (B), (C), or (D).

REL S 301. Hebrew Bible (A) (3) [GE]

Prerequisites: Three units of religious studies.
Literature, history, major themes of Bible; methods and concerns of contemporary biblical studies. Situates folkloric, political, heroic, poetic, and religious meanings of texts among their original audiences.  

REL S 305. The New Testament (A) (3) [GE]

Prerequisites: Three units of religious studies.
Structure, composition, meaning of New Testament; methods for interpreting Biblical texts. Focus on letters of Paul, post-Pauline writings, Gospel accounts of Jesus’s life. 

REL S 310. The Qur’an (A) (3) [GE]

Prerequisites: Three units of religious studies.
Major themes of Qur’an including cosmology, eschatology, good and evil, gender, God and monotheism, People of the Book (Jews and Christians), and role of religion in society. Attention to historical period in which the Qur’an was compiled. 
This course satisfies the general education cultural diversity requirement.

REL S 315. Yoga: Theory and Practice (A) (3)

Prerequisite: Three units of religious studies.
Cultural, historical, and philosophical aspects of yogic tradition since its earliest history to modern days. Texts, traditions, and prominent figures in yogic tradition providing a conceptual basis for yogic practice. 
This course satisfies the general education cultural diversity requirement.

REL S 320. Judaism (B) (3) [GE]

Prerequisites: Three units of religious studies.
Jewish history, culture, theory, and practice. Biblical roots of modern Jewish beliefs, basic movements within modern Judaism; Jewish calendar and Jewish life cycle as seen in Hebrew Bible, short stories, and films. 

REL S 325. Christianity (B) (3) [GE]

Prerequisites: Three units of religious studies.
Historical development of Christian traditions and major issues confronting Christianity today. Beliefs and practices important to Christian self-understanding, debates over authority of Bible, accommodations to modern science, and relationship with non-Christian religions. 

REL S 328. Islam (B) (3) [GE]

Prerequisites: Three units of religious studies.
Islamic religion and culture in Asia, Africa, and Near East. History, doctrines, practices, literatures, social and intellectual movements, role of Mohammed, and gender relations within Islam as understood in global context.
This course satisfies the general education cultural diversity requirement.

REL S 330. Abrahamic Faiths: Shared Stories (B) (3) [GE]

Prerequisites: Three units of religious studies.
Theological, textual, and political relations among Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Shared religious practices and stories such as creation, sacrifice, theories of evil and salvation, prophecy and Messianic expectations. Contemporary issues regarding gender, fundamentalism, and rise of nationalism. 
This course satisfies the general education cultural diversity requirement.

REL S 337. Asian Religions in America (B) (3) [GE]

Prerequisites: Three units of religious studies.
History, development, and study of Asian American religions. Issues and problems particular to predicaments and situations of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. 
This course satisfies the general education cultural diversity requirement.

REL S 338. Buddhism (B) (3) [GE]

Prerequisites: Three units of religious studies.
Life and teachings of Buddha, foundational concepts of Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana Buddhism. Buddhist psychology and soteriology, meditative techniques, ethical issues; contemporary Buddhism, particularly in America.
This course satisfies the general education cultural diversity requirement.

REL S 339. Religions of India (B) (3) [GE]

Prerequisites: Three units of religious studies.
Religious pluralism of Indian sub-continent. Influences of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Islam, and Sikhism upon each other and social structures of gender, race, and caste. Karma and rebirth, liberation theories and practices, the interaction of mainstream religions with minority and indigenous tribal rituals and beliefs.
This course satisfies the general education cultural diversity requirement.

REL S 341. Japanese Religions Through Anime (D) (3) [GE]

Analyze Japanese religions through animation; fundamental values of Japanese religion and society: life/ death; cosmology; human relationships with nature; ritual/ tradition; inter-religious cooperation; understandings of gender, sexuality; analysis of religion across Japanese history; understanding contemporary issues: fetishism, environmentalism, nationalism, terrorism.

REL S 343. Sociology of Religion (C) (3) [GE] (Same course as SOC 338)

Prerequisites: SOC 101 
Forms of religious belief, knowledge, practice, and experience tied to different social arrangements and historical periods. Consequences of religion for community and society. Secularization and conversion processes in modern industrial societies.  See the project examples for this class.

REL S 345. Religions of East Asia (B) (3) [GE]

Prerequisite: Three units of religious studies. 
Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism in broad historical and cultural context. Focus on Chan (Zen) school of Buddhism, Confucius, neo-Confucianism of Ju Xi, and Taoist masters Lao Ze and Chuang Ze. 
This course satisfies the general education cultural diversity requirement.

REL S 350. Experiencing the Sacred (C) (3) [GE]

Prerequisites: Three units of religious studies.
Nature and scope of religious experience; transformations of consciousness and self through altered modes of human awareness and mind-body relationships. Yogic and ascetic experience, Shamanic trance and spirit possession, ecstatic experience and mysticism. Techniques of compassion.

REL S 352. Jainism (B) (3) [GE]

Prerequisites: Three units of religious studies.
Historical development of Jainism from its origins to modernity. Jainism in North America. Jain architecture, art, myths, philosophies, rituals, sacred geographies, and theology.
This course satisfies the general education cultural diversity requirement.

REL S 353. Religion and Psychology (C) (3) [GE]

Prerequisites: Three units of religious studies.
Religious dimensions of psyche using insights from academic and transpersonal psychology. Construction of religious identities through spiritual practice and transformation. May be repeated with new content. Maximum Credits: six units of which three units may be applicable to General Education.  See Class Schedule for specific content. 

REL S 356. Hip Hop and Religion (D) (3) [GE]

Study of the intersection between the global hip hop movement and religious traditions from across the world. 

REL S 357. Sikhism (B) (3) [GE]

Prerequisites: Three units of religious studies.
Sikh articles of faith, culture, history, identity, practices, and theories. Sikh attitudes on class, gender, race, and sexual orientation. Development of Sikh religious institutions in America. 
This course satisfies the general education cultural diversity requirement.

REL S 363. Religion and the Sciences (D) (3) [GE]

Prerequisites: Three units of religious studies.
Views of science and religion as separate, conflicting, complementary, and overlapping. Galileo and the Church, the Scopes Trial, and twentieth century physics provide historical examples for study of assumptions about science and religion. 

REL S 364. Religion and Film (D) (3) [GE]

Prerequisites: Three units of religious studies.
Representations of religion in modern cinema and analysis of how religious themes and imagery in film reflect societal values, beliefs, and morals. 

REL S 368. Religion and Social Justice (3)  [GE]

Religion’s influential role in twentieth and twenty-first century social justice movements. Concepts, debates, terms surrounding the relationships between social justice and religious practice.  

REL S 370. Goddess Studies (D) (3) [GE]

Prerequisites: Three units of religious studies.
The divine feminine in mainstream and marginalized religions. Goddess/nature worship and its transformation across time and culture to include ancient religion, mythology, indigenous traditions, and world religions. 
This course satisfies the general education cultural diversity requirement.

REL S 373. Women and the Bible (A) (3) [GE]

Prerequisites: Three units of religious studies.
Narrative, legal, and poetic material about women in Bible. How women are depicted by authors of Bible, lives of women in ancient world, how women and women’s studies are transforming biblical studies. 
This course satisfies the general education cultural diversity requirement.

REL S 376. Nature, Spirituality, Ecology (D) (3) [GE]

Prerequisites: Three units of religious studies.
Cross-cultural religious views of nature. Attention to sacred texts, writings of naturalists, deep ecologists, and ecofeminists on place of nature in spirituality and role of spirituality in ecology. 

REL S 379. Religious Violence and Nonviolence (D) (3) [GE]

Prerequisites: Three units of religious studies.
Role of religion in terrorism, hate groups, scapegoating, domestic and ecological violence, versus role of religion in peacemaking and movements for social justice. Nonviolent philosophies of Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and pacifism in Jain, Buddhist, and Christian traditions. 

REL S 380. Atheism, Humanism, and Secularism (D) (3) [GE]

Prerequisites: Three units of religious studies.
Atheism, humanism, and secularism in western culture to include the creation of institutions that support and advance these movements. Rise of unbelief in reaction to contemporary religious fundamentalism and attacks on science and reason. 

REL S 382. California Religion and Spirituality (B) (3) [GE]

Religious and spiritual landscape of California with examination of new and indigenous religious communities. 
This course satisfies the general education cultural diversity requirement.

REL S 390A-390B. Religion and American Institutions (D) (3 each) [GE]

Prerequisite: Three units of religious studies.
Major religious movements, events, and issues affecting development of US government and institutions. Study of Religion 390A: From time of Spanish contact to 1900. Study of Religion 390B: Religion’s impact in twentieth century. This year-long course satisfies the graduation requirement in American Institutions.

REL S 395. New Religions (C) (3) [GE]

Prerequisites: Three units of religious studies.
America’s alternative religions, popularly called “cults” and why they attract spiritual seekers. New religions and transplanted Asian and African religions. Theoretical structures of belief systems and concrete specifics on different groups. 

REL S 396W. Writing on Religion (C) (3)

Prerequisites: Satisfies Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement for students who have completed 60 units; completed Writing Placement Assessment with a score of 8 or higher (or earned a grade of C (2.0) or better in RWS 280, RWS 281 [or LING 281] if score on WPA was 6 or lower); and completed General Education requirements in Communication and Critical Thinking. Proof of completion of prerequisite(s) required: Test scores or verification of exemption; copy of transcript.
Theoretical approaches in study of religion and religious phenomena. Writing in discipline of religious studies through analysis of key thinkers in history of religions. 

REL S 400. Senior Seminar (C) (3)

Prerequisite: Study of Religion 396W; others with consent of department chair.
Senior capstone seminar in major. Discussion and research on topics in religious studies. Formal research paper and presentation. 

REL S 405. Faith and Hope (D) (3) [GE] (Same course as HUM 405)

Humanities as expressed in religion. Acquisition and/or loss of faith. Questioning of theological systems. Confrontation with death. Nature of hope. Use of signs, symbols, and narratives to generate social structures. Symbolic and mystical systems of meaning. Influence of religion upon culture. 

REL S 406. God, Gold, and Glory: Religion and Colonial Encounter in the Americas (D) (3) [GE]

Colonialism, race, and religion in the Americas. The “one drop” rule, colonial evangelizing missions, historical colonial religious forms, and slavery. Capitalism, immigration, and new religious movements.
This course satisfies the general education cultural diversity requirement.

REL S 411. Understanding Evil (D) (3) [GE] (Same course as HUM 411)

Evil and how the language of evil has been used by diverse religious communities. Conceptions and portrayals of demons, hell, Satan, and vampires. Literature on the Holocaust, terrorism, torture, and war. 
This course satisfies the general education cultural diversity requirement.

REL S 424. The Supernatural in Cross-Cultural Perspective (C) (3) [GE] (Same course as ANTH 424)

Prerequisites: ANTH 102.
Magic and religion. Conceptions of the supernatural in a cross section of world’s cultures. Anthropological theories relating to supernatural beliefs and practices. 
This course satisfies the general education cultural diversity requirement.

REL S 458. Asian Traditions (B) (3) [GE] (Same course as ASIAN 458)

Prerequisites: Six units of Asian-content courses or upper division standing.
Social, cultural, economic, and political traditions of South, Southeast, and East Asia; how they functioned in theory and practice prior to twentieth century. 
This course satisfies the general education cultural diversity requirement.

RELS 470. American Indian Spirituality and Epistemologies (B) (3) [GE] (Same course as AMIND 470)

In-depth examination of American Indian cultures, ways of knowing, and worldviews. Comparative analysis of tribal philosophies and orientations with those of Western society. Special emphasis on American Indian worldviews and experiences as related to relationship to land, ceremonial practices, and ethical systems. 
This course satisfies the general education cultural diversity requirement.

REL S 496. Experimental Topics (A) (B) (C) (D) (1-4)

Prerequisite: Three units of religious studies.
Selected topics. May be repeated with new content. See Class Schedule for specific content. Limit of nine units of any combination of 296, 496, 596 courses applicable to a bachelor’s degree.

REL S 499. Special Study (A) (B) (C) (D) (1-3)

Prerequisite: Twelve upper division units in religious studies.
Individual study. Maximum credit six units.

REL S 507. The Reformation (A) (B) (C) (D) (3) (Same course as HIST 507)

Continental Europe, 1500-1648. Split of Christendom; political and intellectual dissent; social fabric of family life; relationship between gender, class, and power; cultural stratification of European society. 

REL S 581. Major Theme (A) (B) (C) (D) (3)

Prerequisites: Three units of religious studies and upper division or graduate standing.
Advanced systematic study of a theme or motif selected from major religious traditions. May be repeated with new content. See Class Schedule for specific content. Maximum credit six units.

REL S 583. Major Tradition (A) (B) (C) (D) (3)

Prerequisites: Three units of religious studies and upper division or graduate standing.
Advanced systematic study of the doctrines, practices, and development of a major religious tradition. May be repeated with new content. See Class Schedule for specific content. Maximum credit six units.

REL S 596. Advanced Topics in Study of Religion (A) (B) (C) (D) (1-3)

Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Advanced selected topics in religious studies. May be repeated with new content. See Class Schedule for specific content. Limit of nine units of any combination of 296, 496, 596 courses applicable to a bachelor’s degree. Credit for 596 and 696 applicable to a master’s degree with approval of the graduate adviser.

REL S 696. Seminar in Selected Topics  (3)

Prerequisite: Twelve upper division units in religious studies.
Directed research in a major problem or movement in religious studies.  May be repeated with new content. Maximum Credits: six units applicable to a master’s degree. Credit for REL S 596 and 696 applicable to a master’s degree with approval of the graduate adviser.  See Class Schedule for specific content.

REL S 798. Special Study (1-3)

Grading Method: Cr/NC/RP
Prerequisite(s): Twelve upper division units in religious studies and consent of staff; to be arranged with department chair and instructor.
Individual study. Maximum Credits: six units applicable to a master’s degree.

Fall 2016 - Instructor: Dr. Rebecca Bartel

The final assignment for the course was to put together a website that treated various current events with sociological theory.

Fall 2016 - Instructor: Dr. Drew Thomases

This course explored “evil,” both its meaning, and how the language of evil has been used by diverse religious communities. The final project for this class was not a final exam or a final essay, but a podcast.

Listen to sample podcasts from the class.